Frame support elements for the support stays of umbrella tops



June 7, 1966 P. KRAFT 3,254,658

FRAME SUPPORT ELEMENTS FOR THE SUPPORT STAYS OF UMBRELLA TOPS Filed May 5, 1964 United States Patent .0 "ice 3,254,658 FRAME SUPPORT ELEMENTS FOR THE SUPPORT STAYS OF UMBRELLA TOPS Paul Kraft, Am Linsenbrunnen, Geislingen an der Steige, Germany Filed May 5, 1964, Ser. No. 365,100 4 Claims. (Cl. 135-28) The invention relates to frame support elements for the'support stays of umbrella tops, and'more particularly to novel fastening elements associated with a slid able support for foldable umbrella frames in which the stays for the umbrella top are so pivoted that the pivot points are located substantially in a straight line.

In prior art devices for connecting the rods and braces to the umbrella top and to the round sleeves a soft Wire has been employed which can be adapted easily to the rods and braces during assembly and the end of which are bent over by means of pliers. This assembling method causes the mounting of the rods and braces to be inconvenient a-nd time consuming. In exchanging individual rods during repair or the like it is necessary to loosen all the rods from their bearing support, to replace the wire by a new piece and to re-assem-blethe rods in a similarly cumbersome manner.

The arrangement of the pivot points of the rods and braces along the same line presupposes that the elements are alike and thus are prefabricated in large number from steel wire. According to the invention the fastening elements consist of two legs bent in the form of a hair pin of different length, and the leg of shorter length is given a right angle bend extending in the plane of the legs. This bent portion is lodged in a recess in the wings of the slide member and the angle formed by the legs of the hair pin type bend is smaller than the angle of the wings. The bent portion provides a safety device against the axial movement and against rotation of the fastening elements. The wings receive the rods and braces at the upper or head piece portion and have slots and bores for receiving the elements. Upon inserting each element it is necessary to overcome a pretension because the angle of the wing is larger than the angle of the two legs of the wire bent in the form of a hair pin. In the end position the bent portion of the fastening element rests in a bore provided for this purpose. The mounting of the rods and braces of the umbrella top is thus simplified to a large extent. Also its exchange is much simplified with respect to prior art constructions because this novel fastening element may be easily removed. For this purpose a groove is provided in the wings on the lower side which makes it possible to reach with a pointed object under the leg ad-' jacent the curved end in order to lift the bent portion out of the bore. By pulling at the bend of the two legs they may be easily withdrawn to thus release the rods or braces of the umbrella top. After the worn or damaged parts of the umbrella frame have been replaced the fastening elements may be re-used.

The invention will be described in greater detail hereafter by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the invention and in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a slidable support provided at opposite sides of each wing with a fastening element for connecting the top rods or braces and Patented June 7, 1966 FIGURE 2 shows a hair pin type fastening element according to the invention with the bent portion at the end of one leg for securing the fastening element in po sition on the Wing.

The invention is illustrated in the drawings and the slidable support shown in FIGURE 1, which may be used in a similar form also as head piece and auxiliary slide member consists of a sleeve 1 with a bore 10 for the umbrella stick, and of the wings 2 connected to the sleeve. In the direction of the rods and braces slots 3 are cut into the wings 2, and these-slots receive the ends of the support members. The bores for the long leg 4 extend at the level of the slots' 3 in the direction of the center line of the umbrella stick which is not shown in the drawing. For securing the fastening elements against rotation and against axial sliding a bore 5 is provided in the Wings 2 into which a bent portion provided on the shorter leg 7 is received. In order to assure a secure seat for the fastening element, the angle 9 formed by the wings 2 is larger than the angle 8 formed by the two legs 4 and 7 of the fastening element bent in the manner of a hair pin, so that the leg 7, carrying the bent portion, is engaged under av tension. For a quick disassembly of the elements a recess 12 is provided in the wings under the leg 7 so that by inserting a sharp object under this leg and by lifting it is possible to remove the bent portion 6 of the fastening element from the bore 5 of the wings. Thereafter the fastening element may be removed from the wings by pulling at the bend 11 between the legs 4 and 7.

In use, the apertured end-s of the support stays are positioned in the slots 3 and the long leg 4 of the fastening element is inserted in the bores in the wing 2 and through the apertured ends to pivotally mount the stays. In the stored position the umbrella presents a flattened appearance While in the used position the attachment of the support stays to the fabric provides the conventional rounded shape.

What is claimed is:

1. A slideable frame support member for the support stays of foldable 'umbrella tops comprising a central sleeve, wing portions extending laterally from said central sleeve, substantially V-shaped fastening elements for pivotally securing said support stays at one end to said Wing portions, one leg of said V-shaped fastening elements having a bent-in portion at its end extending toward the other leg of said V-shaped fastening element in the plane of said legs, means at one side of said wing portions for slideabl-e receiving said other leg, and a recess in the opposite side of said wing portions to receive said bent-in portion of said one leg, the angle formed by the legs of said fastening elements being smaller than the angle formed by the opposite sides of said wing portions whereby said fastening elements engage the sides of said wing portions with a clamping tension.

2. A slideable frame support member according to claim 1 wherein the two legs of "said V-shaped fastening elements are of different length, said bent-in portion be ing provided on the shorter one of the two legs.

3. A slideable frame support according to claim 1 wherein the edge of said opposite side of said wing portions has a groove for seating said one leg of said V- shaped fastening element, and that said one side of said wing portions has a bore extending adjacent its edge and 6. spaced slots extending inwaflly from said edge and corn- References Cited by the Examiner cessible throughsaifslm 740,988 10/1903 Pachali 13s 2s 4. A slideable frame support according to claim 3 5 1,769,315 7/1930 schoenhard 13528 X wherein the sides of said grooves are cut away over a 21,796,073 6/1957 Wlttman 135 "28 small portion of its length to allow easy grasping of said one leg for withdrawal of said bent-in portion from HARRISON- MOSELEY Prlma'y Exammer said recess. L. J. SANTISI, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SLIDEABLE FRAME SUPPORT MEMBER FOR THE SUPPORT STAYS OF FOLDABLE UMBRELLA TOPS COMPRISING A CENTRAL SLEEVE, WING PORTIONS EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM SAID CENTRAL SLEEVE, SUBSTANTIALLY V-SHAPED FASTENING ELEMENTS FOR PIVOTALLY SECURING SAID SUPPORT STAYS AT ONE END TO SAID WING PORTIONS, ONE LEG OF SAID V-SHAPED FASTENING ELEMENTS HAVING A BENT-IN PORTION AT ITS END EXTENDING TOWARD THE OTHER LEG OF SAID V-SHAPED FASTENING ELEMENT IN THE PLANE OF SAID LEGS, MEANS AT ONE SIDE OF SAID WING PORTIONS FOR SLIDEABLE RECEIVING SAID OTHER LEG, AND A RECESS IN THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID WING PORTIONS TO RECEIVE SAID BENT-IN PORTION OF SAID ONE LEG, THE ANGLE FORMED BY THE LEGS OF SAID FASTENING ELEMENTS BEING SMALLER THAN THE ANGLE FORMED BY THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID WING PORTIONS WHEREBY SAID FASTENING ELEMENTS ENGAGE THE SIDES OF SAID WING PORTIONS WITH A CLAMPING TENSIONS. 